This invention relates to an electrical energy depletion/collection system sometimes also referred to as a system for harnessing lightning in which the use of one or more mobile airborne trigger platforms enables the user of the system to move into areas of storm activity and especially to continuously move in the jet stream. These areas are regions of instability caused by the jet stream infringing on the collision of air masses with an unstable polymorphic intersection seam.
Prior art attempts at harnessing electrical energy from lightning or electrical charges produced in a storm have met with limited success.
For example, in U.S. Pat. No. 5,367,245, incorporated herein by this reference, the lightning attracting antenna structure is stationary and thus there is no way to move the antenna to an area where forecasts predict the formation of a storm.
Others skilled in the art have attempted to use deployable devices such as helicopters equipped with ionization equipment to prevent lightning strikes. See for example, U.S. Pat. No. 4,017,767. No means are disclosed, however, in this patent for harnessing the electrical energy produced by the lightning.
Balloons used to collect atmospheric electricity are known but since they are tethered to a fixed location, they cannot be deployed to areas where forecasts predict the formation of a storm. See, for example, U.S. Pat. Nos. 911,260 and 674,427 also incorporated herein by this reference.
Since various technologies exist to locate lightning and storms likely to produce lightning and electrical energy (see, e.g., U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,771,020; 5,699,245; 5,620,813; 5,537,318; 5,396,220; 5,331,330; 5,305,210; and 4,972,195, each of which is incorporated herein by this reference), a more efficient electrical energy depletion/ harnessing system would be mobile and able to follow or move to areas where storms are likely to produce lightning and electrical energy, such as where the jet stream impinges on an unstable atmospheric condition caused by collision of warm wet air with cold dry air.
It is therefore an object of this invention to provide an electrical energy depletion/collection system.
It is a further object of this invention to provide such an electrical energy depletion/collection system which is able to navigate the jet stream.
It is a further object of this invention to provide such an electrical energy depletion/collection system which makes use of superconductive materials technology.
It is a further object of this invention to provide such an electrical energy depletion/collection system which is mobile and can follow, move to, and/or move into storms and/or areas where storms are likely to develop.
It is a further object of this invention to provide such an electrical energy depletion/collection system which is able to collect a storm""s electrical energy and which also has the added effect of depleting a storm""s energy thus weakening it and interfering with the formation of hurricanes, tornadoes, and the like, with the likely possibility of prevention.
It is a further object of this invention to provide such an electrical energy depletion/collection system which provides a commercially viable alternative method of providing electrical energy.
It is a further object of this invention to provide such an electrical energy depletion/collection system which can be employed with a number of different types of airborne trigger platforms and mobile host platforms including dirigibles, airships, helicopters, airplanes, trains, ships, tankers, and the like.
This invention results from the realization that a storm""s electrical energy can be depleted and/or harnessed more efficiently if collection devices are designed such that they are capable of moving to the storm and thus an electrical energy depletion/collection system can now be fully realized by one or more mobile airborne trigger platforms (e.g., dirigibles) electrically tethered to mobile host platforms (e.g., ships, trains, or trucks) or other dirigibles.
This invention features an electrical energy depletion/collection system comprising a mobile airborne trigger platform; a mobile host platform; an electrical interconnection between the trigger platform and the host platform; and an electrical energy storage subsystem resident on at least one of the mobile airborne trigger platform and the mobile host platform.
The mobile airborne trigger platform may be a dirigible which includes one or more antennas extending therefrom, frame members made of a superconductive material, and skin material made of a superconductive fabric. In one embodiment, the dirigible includes inner and outer skins separated by elastomeric devices to absorb shock forces.
The mobile host platform may be a ship, a submarine, or other type of vehicle or train or truck. In other embodiments, the mobile airborne trigger platform may be a rocket, kite, plane, or other airborne device.
The electrical interconnection typically includes a cable made of a superconductive material and the electrical energy storage subsystem may include a storage coil formed of a superconductive material. The storage coil may be located on the mobile airborne trigger platform and/or on the mobile host platform. In the preferred embodiment, the storage coil is integral with the structure of the mobile airborne trigger platform.
The preferred mobile airborne trigger platform includes at least one dirigible having one or more antennas extending therefrom and including frame members made of a superconductive material and skin material made of a superconductive fabric.